1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a network system for allowing acceptance of contents providing services, such as Internet radio, over the Internet. This invention also relates to an electronic equipment terminal and a server apparatus used for such system.
This application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No.2003-127064, filed in Japan on May 2, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a wide variety of contents providing services over the Internet. As one of these services, there is known an Internet radio in which a radio broadcasting station broadcasts audio contents over the Internet.
If desired to receive and hear the contents of this Internet radio, the Internet account, software for browser, software for processing the audio information, loudspeaker, tuner and a unit for sound volume adjustment, are required. The structure of this sort of the Internet radio receiving system is disclosed in Patent Publication 1 (Japanese Laying-Open Patent Kohyo 2003-502887).
In the receiver system, shown in the above Patent Publication 1, the appearance of a user interface is designed after a radio broadcast receiver. The receiver system in the above Patent Publication 1 is a stand-alone type device or a device constructed with a personal computer as center. An exemplary structure of the latter system is shown in FIG. 15 hereof.
Referring to FIG. 15, this receiver system is made up by a radio box 10, forming a user interface, and a personal computer system 20. The radio box 10 and a personal computer 21 of the personal computer system 20 are interconnected over a cable 11 by USB (Universal Serial Bus) or SCSI (Small Computer System Interface).
The radio box 10 includes a volume knob, a tuning knob in case of a radio broadcast receiver, and a display for demonstrating the selected station or the frequency. A numerical figure for the specified frequency is demonstrated on a display by acting on the tuning knob. Here, the specified frequency is used for identifying the broadcasting station of the Internet radio.
In the personal computer system 20, a display 22, a pair of loudspeakers 23, 23 and a modem 24 are connected to the personal computer 21. The modem 24 is connected over a telephone network 25 to the Internet 12.
In the personal computer 21, the information of a table showing the association of the URL (Universal Resource Locator) of the Internet radio station and the frequency specified by the radio box 10 is stored and saved in a memory.
In case a radio listener user acts on the tuning knob of the radio box 10 to specify the frequency, the frequency information is delivered to the personal computer 21 over the communication cable 11. The personal computer 21 refers to the information of the association table saved in the memory to detect the URL of the specified Internet radio station. The user accesses the Internet radio station over the Internet 12, using the URL, to receive the radio broadcast data. The so received data is decoded to reproduce audio signals. The so reproduced audio signals are transduced by the loudspeakers 23, 23 into the sound, which then is radiated.
With this receiving system, the user may enjoy the Internet radio with the same feeling as with the conventional apparatus for receiving radio broadcast electrical waves.    Patent Publication 1    Patent Gazette of Japanese Laying-Open Patent Kohyo 2003-502887
However, with the receiver system, disclosed in the above Patent Publication 1, the Internet radio can be heard only in a room where the personal computer system 20 is installed, while such a use form in which the user moves from one room to another to hear the Internet radio as with the so-called portable radio set is not possible with ease.
With the above receiver system, the user can hear the Internet radio, as he/she moves from one room to another, provided that a modular jack connectable to the telephone network is mounted in each room, such that the personal computer system 20 in its entirety is moved. However, movement of the personal computer system 20 in its entirety is unrealistic and impractical.
It may be contemplated to install the system of FIG. 15 in each room. However, if the function of the Internet radio system is to be implemented, it is necessary to provide a circuit for communication over the Internet, a Web decoding function and the circuitry for audio output. Moreover, a ROM (read-only memory) and a RAM (random-access memory), which are similarly needed in addition to a high-speed CPU (central processing unit), are floor-space-consuming, thus raising the cost and the expenses to be sustained by the user.